Interlocking machine.



J. S. HOBSON.

' INTERLOGKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1908.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

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I. s. HoBsON.

INTERLOGKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED sTATrs PATENT OPPIOE. JOHN s. HOPSON, or nnerwoon PARK;y PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNon TO TIIE UNION swIToPI a SIGNAL OOMPANY, or swIssvALE, PENNsYLvANIAA CORPORATION or PENNsvL- vANIA. i Y

' "INTERLOCKIIIG MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

Application led Septemberle, 1908. Serial Nol 452,805.

To all whom 'it may concern: y

Be it known/that I, JOHN S. IIoBsoN, a

citizen of the United States, Vresiding at Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny -and State of-Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Interlocking Machines, of which the following is a specification. n

My invention relates to interlocking ma chines. t i. .y Y

Interlocking machines, as is well known in the signaling and switching art, comprise a number of levers for moving or controlling the movement of switches and signals and mechanical interlocking which latter insures an operation of certain levers 1n a prear-` ranged sequence as well as to prevent the op! eration of levers which move yor control switches or signals to set up conflicting routes for cars or trains. machines used for controlling the Operation of motors comprised in switch and signal mechanisms, indicating mechanisms arev employed in connection with the levers, yeach of which indicating mechanism comprisesV an electrically operated lock. The functions of these indicating mechanisms is well understood in theart and need not be def` scribed. In some installation of switches it is usual to employ what'is known as electric detector circuits instead of the usual detector bar, and when such electric detec-v tor circuits are used, it is necessary to provide the levers operating or controlling the operation of switches employing the electric detector circuit with electric locks which are controlled by the (said electric detector circuit. Usually the circuit Afor this lock is open so that the lock is' effective to hold the lever against a preliminary move' ment preventing a switch being thrown under a car. Itwill be seen, therefore, that before the lever can be moved it is necessary to operate the electric locks. If an attempt is made to move the lever vwithout doing this the parts may be injured or otherwise aected to prevent a proper and easy` operation ofV the lever. Y

It 1s an Object of my invention to `Insure the operator closing the open circuit on they electric lock (and thus operating it'to release the lever provided all other conditions are right to operate said lever) before'heattempts to move his lever, thus avoiding bind-` ing the latch of'thesaid electric lock. l

In interlocking Fig 3 is a detail view.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the'gures. y

Referringto, Fig. 1, A designates a portion of a railway track, and A1 a switch by which trains may be deflected from and onto ythe track A. I have not illustrated any form of motor mechanism for shifting the switch back and forth in the usual way, and anyof the well known forms of such mechanisms may be used togetherwith the proper controlling and indication circuits therefor. An indication mechanism is conventionally shown'and designated B, and it operates in a usual and well known way as regards the Ylin'nting of the movement of the lever.

F ldesignates `a `lever for controlling the operation ofthe switch moving mechanism. The lever F is connected with a slotted quadrant f by a hollow rod f1 which extends through a Vcylindrical portion e of an arm E, which is also provided with trunnions e1 suitably journaled in the framework of the 'machine' The lever F and rod f1 when moved longitudinally, rocks the quadrant f on its pivot, and the quadrant in turn moves la bar f2 having cam surfaces f3, to operate that part of the mechanical interlocking G "which isV associated with it. The cam surfaces f3 move a rod or bar f4 supported in guides f5 and having two notches f6, f7 with Vwhich a latch c1 of a lock C is adapted to coactpas will be hereinafter described. It will be seen that until the latch o1 is disengaged fromeither of the notches f6, f7 the lever F cannot be moved longitudinally.

lAfter the longitudinal-movement the lever may be given anV oscillatory movement from `.the position shown in full lines to the posi- -tion shown` Vin dotted lines` (see Fig. 2). `These. longitudinal and oscillatory movements perform functions well known in the artand yare set forthin U. S. Patent No. 887,287 granted May 12, 1908-, for an invention of John D. Taylor. The latch 01 is moved by an electro-magnetic device c the circuit for which is controlled at one point by a circuit controller D which is operated from a push button mechanism comprised in the lever F and the rod f1. The push button mechanism comprises a push button H, a rod It extending therefrom and through the hollow rod f1 and a ball or other device /Ll located in an opening f1 provided for it in the rod f1 (see Fig. l). A notch or cutout portion if is provided in the rod 7L and when moved under the ball zl by the push-button H -receives the ball from the Vopening flo (see Fig. 2). rI`he notch h2 is held out of position under the ball /Ll by means of a spring h3. In the usual position of the parts (see Fig. l) the bal-l tl is held in the opening fw by the plug fn which is notched to receive a portion of the ball h1, and in this position it will be seen that the lever F and hollow rod f1 cannot be moved `longitudinally on account of the ball being partly in the opening flo and partly in the notch in the plug fn. Then however the push-button H is moved `.to bring the notch h2 into position under the ball h1, the ball will fall into it and completely out of the opening flo thus leaving the lever F and hollow rod f1 free to be moved longitudinally (see full lines Fig. 2).

' In moving the push-button H to accomplish this, the circuit controller D is yirst operated to close the circuit on the electro-magnetic device c, and this may be accomplished by the following parts: A pin 7# is carried by the rod and its ends extend through oppositely arranged slots jm in the hollow rod, f1. One end of the pin 7b4, when the rod it is moved by the push-button H engages an arm i on a vertically mounted shaft I to move the shaft and thus operate the circuit controller D. This operation of the shaft I occurs when the lever F is in the position shown, and when the lever is in its lower position, 'the other end of the pin h4, upon a movement of the push-button H, engages an -arm 'il also on theshaft I to operate the circuit controller D. These operations of the shaft I are against the action of a spring 2 which when the engagement of the pin h4 with either of the arms or l ceases, moves the shaft I to open the circuit controller.

The circuit controller D comprises a stationary Vcontact d and a movable contact (Z1, the latter being suitably connected with the shaft I as for example by an arm 4 and vblock 5. The electro-magnetic device c of the lock C is included in an open circuit controlled at vone point by the armature r of a relay fR which is included in an electric detector circuit 7 and by the circuit lcontroller D. The electricdetector circuit com- ,.prises a Ysource of current T. B. the track -r'ails vand the relay R. The length of track rails included in this ycircuit is dened by insulated joints J which are placed in the track A, adjacent the switch A, and the branch track, and portions oit rails ot the track A. and the branch between the insulations are bonded together in any of the well known ways. The function ot this circuit however arranged, to control the relay lt and its arn'iature r. That is to say, with no pair of wheels and axle o'l a car or train within the insnlations J, current trom the battery T. I3. tlows through the relay to energize it and attract its armature r to close t-he circuit ot the electric lock C, but with a pair oi wheels and axle within the insulations, they act as a shunt path `for the battery thus depriving the relay ot Isuliicient energizing current causing it to drop its armature and thus open the circuit of the electric lock C at that point. The circuit for the electric lock C starting from battery X is, wire l, armature r and its contact'. wire 2, electro-magnetic device c wire 23, movable contact Z1 of circuit controller D, .stationary contact (Z and wire a to battery.

The lever F is shown in what is technically known as its normal position, and when in this position the switch i1 is set .so that. cars or trains pass back and 'torth on the track It now it is desired to move the switch A the lever F moved to the po sition shown in dotted line (see Fig. 2), which technicallyv known as its reverse. position 7, but. betere it is moved to this position the push-button must. be moved. and the switch apparatus must, have moved the switch and the indicating mechanism responded in the manner well known in the art. In moving the switch A1 back again the lever F is returned to its normal i" or full line position, but betere it, is moved to this position, the push-button Il must be moved and the indicating mechanism l respond in the manner well known in the art. It will be seen therefore that in either position ot the lever the push-button Il must tirst be moved to relieve the lever F and rod f2 ot the lock afforded by the ball Il and to operate the circuit closer D to release the latch c1V from either ot the notches f, fi (depending upon which position the lever F is in). Ot course, should a. train or any of its wheels or axles be within the contines` of the electric detector circuit 7 the relay ll will be deene Y Zed and its arnmture r re leased so that the circuit oli the electromagnetic device c will be open at that point. Consetpiently, under this condition. the electric lock C cannotI be operated to release the lever F.

lHaving thus described my invention, what. I claim as new is:

l. In combination with a railway switch; an electric detector circuit associated with said switch comprising a` relay and armature; a lever for controlling the operation elijas of said switch; an electric loclr for said lever; a circuit for said electric lockconiprising the armature oit' said relay; a circuit controller for opening and closing saidcir-l an electric detector circuit associated therewith comprising a relay and armature; a lever for controlling the movements of said switch; a mechanical latch for said lever; an-

electric lock for said lever which includes the said armature; a circuit controller for opening and closing said circuit; and means associated with said lever for operating said latch to cause it to first close the circuit controller to give battery to the electric lock circuit thereby energizing the electric lock magnet and releasing the lever at this point and secondly to mechanically release the latch and permit the lever to be operated.

3. In combination with a railway switch; an electric detector circuit associated therewith which comprises a relay and armature; a lever for controlling the movements of said switch comprising a hollow rod which is provided with an opening; a mechanical latch for said lever, comprising a ball located in said opening, a rod having a notch which when moved under the ball receives it from said opening, and means for moving 2. ln combination with a yrailway switch;

i the rool'toV bring the notch lunder the ball;

an electric lock for said lever which includes the said armature; and a circuit controller for opening and closing said circuit; said circuit controller being operated to close the circuit beforethe mechanical lock is released vby said meansy for moving the rod coinprised in the said mechanical latch.

1l.' In combinationv with a railway switch;

an electrical detector circuit associated there-v with comprising a relay and armature; a lever for controlling the movements of said switch and mechanical latch for said lever;

an electric lockv for said lever which includes said armature; a'circuit controller :t'or opening and closing said circuit, and means associated with said lever for operating said latch to liaveit release the lever and the circuitcontroller to close the circuit on the electric `lock and also that to release the lever, said means comprising a rod movable longitudinali a pin carriedby said rod, a shaft, and a plurality oic arms carried by said shaft with which the pin engages to operate the shaft.`

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribed witnesses.

JOHN S. HOBSON.

C. C. WHITE. 

